Announcing The 2024 US Masters Featuring GM Fabiano Caruana And Special Guest GM Daniel Naroditsky

We're excited to announce the 2024 US Masters, the strongest open tournament in the United States, taking place in Charlotte, North Carolina, and hosted by the Charlotte Chess Center, Chess.com's official partner. The event starts on November 27 and will feature a $28,000 prize fund and important FIDE Circuit points that could help determine who makes it to the next Candidates Tournament.

Players and fans can register to participate in the US Masters or the concurrent NC Open (beginning November 29) until November 27 by clicking here.

GM Fabiano Caruana, the highest FIDE-rated player in U.S. history, spearheads the US Masters. Earlier this year, Caruana strongly hinted on a podcast that he would play, and he is indeed on the official registration list. His participation can help him earn the necessary FIDE Circuit points to qualify for his sixth straight Candidates Tournament in 2026.

The super grandmaster is sure to be the favorite, but by no means is his path to victory guaranteed. Caruana will have to outperform other strong grandmasters like GMs Grigoriy Oparin, Alexander Donchenko, Abhimanyu Mishra, and more to win it all.

Another well-known American player is confirmed to make an appearance at the event. Star content creator and commentator GM Daniel Naroditsky will be a special VIP guest, interacting with fans and other players during the event. Naroditsky will also participate in the satellite blitz event, host lectures, and review games from the US Masters.

Fans can also expect to see other familiar faces during the five-day event, which will offer all the needed infrastructure for streamers. WGM Dina Belenkaya, one of the world's most popular chess creators, has confirmed her participation. Another big name is FM James Canty, who will be there to fight for an IM norm—which he just missed by half a point during last year's US Masters. 

GM Jose Martinez won the inaugural edition in 2021, followed by GM Christopher Yoo in 2022 and GM Mikhail Antipov in 2023. Yoo and Antipov return, and they have their work cut out for them this time.

Along with the main event, two other tournaments will be taking place. Speed addicts can play in the Saturday night no-fee blitz tournament, which features a $2,000 prize fund. Players who'd like to play classical chess can also join the $13,000 NC Open, which doesn't require the minimum 2200 US Chess or FIDE rating that the US Masters does.

Who do you think will win the 2024 US Masters? Let us know in the comment section below!